This paper was presented at the
National Seminar on
Indian Psychology: Theories and Models
SVYASA, Bangalore,
December 26 - 28, 2007
 

Psychology in the Yogacara- Vijñanavada buddhism

C. D. Sebastian — Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay

Mahayana philosophy comprises of the two great schools of Buddhism, namely, the Mādhyamika and the Yogācāra- Vijñānavāda. The latter school of thought in Mahayana Buddhism is also, sometimes, called either as the Yogācāra, or the Vijñānavāda, which flourished in India from the 4^th to the 12^th century AD. The adherents of this school held that there is only one Reality, and it is Consciousness or Mind (Mahyne traidhtukam vij–apti-mtram vyavasthpyate, ‘citta-mtram bho jinaputrh yaduta traidhtukam’ iti s‰trt. Cittam mano vij–nam vij–apti±ceti paryy¾. Cittamatra sasamprayogamabhipretam. Mtramityarthapratiãedhrtham. – The Vijñaptimātratā-sddhi Vim±atik, opening verse). Besides giving rise to one of the most brilliant products of Indian genius, namely, the Buddhist school of logic and epistemology, the Yoga¯ca¯ra- Vijña¯nava¯da had also propounded sound psychological theories. 

This proposed paper will unravel the psychological speculations of the Yogācāra- Vijñānavāda school, basing on the magnum opus of Vasubandhu, the Vijñaptimātratā-sddhi Trim±ik, where the triple levels of Consciousness, namely, €laya-vij–na, Kliãæa-mano-vij–na and PravÙrtti-vij–na, are dealt with. The foundational consciousness is the uninterrupted flux of experience represented by €laya-vij–na. It is within this foundational consciousness that all other forms of consciousness occur.